Cleveland bathroom remodeling: planning and hiring

Define the bathroom you need before requesting bids

Write a short scope that names what you will keep, replace and relocate. Include the tub or shower, toilet, vanity, floor, lighting and exhaust fan. Describe the problem you want to solve, such as a difficult tub entry, limited storage or a leak. Give each contractor the same scope so you can compare their proposed work.

Ask the contractor to describe shower waterproofing, preparation beneath tile, drain connections and the fan’s exhaust route. Request product names and identify who supplies fixtures. Specify whether the bid includes demolition, debris removal, wall repair, painting and cleanup. For accessibility changes, discuss entry height, clearances and support for grab bars before choosing finishes.

Treat a layout change as a separate design decision. Cleveland requires drawings for alterations that remove walls or partitions or rearrange interior spaces. Ask the bidder to identify the drawing and approval work your proposed layout needs before you commit to it. [3]

Check credentials and assign permit responsibility

Call the city’s contractor verification number with the business name you plan to hire. Cleveland says contractors who build or rehabilitate homes must be bonded, insured and registered; electricians and plumbers must also be licensed. Ask for insurance documentation and identify the trade contractors by name before signing. [1]

Put permit responsibility in the agreement. Name who submits applications, prepares drawings, pays fees and schedules inspections. Cleveland’s building-permit process starts with a Project application and approval. The city lists interior reconfiguration and changes to plumbing, electrical wiring, drainage and ventilation among work requiring permits. [3]

Confirm permit and plan-approval requirements as separate questions. The city lists plan-approval exceptions for piping extensions under 50 feet for gas, HVAC or plumbing work, and for qualifying system-component replacements that do not extend, alter or void approval of the entire system. Its plumbing page requires permits for new, extended or repaired systems and fixtures. Have the contractor confirm the requirements for your exact scope with the city. [2] [3]

Compare the full bid and plan for discoveries

Compare labor, materials, fixture allowances, permit handling and exclusions as separate items. Ask what you would pay if your chosen tile or fixtures exceed an allowance. Require a written change order with the added cost and schedule effect before approving extra work. Agree on how the contractor will document damage discovered after demolition.

City fee schedules help you budget permit charges. Obtain construction quotes for your room and scope, and ask each bidder to distinguish the construction price from drawing charges and city fees. Request a total that identifies which charges the contractor includes and which you would pay separately. [4]

Cleveland’s published fee schedule labels itself effective January 2, 2014. It lists separate plan examination, building, plumbing and electrical charges, plus state surcharges. Use the chart as a reference for selected minimum charges, then confirm the applicable total before signing. A single minimum fee does not represent the approval cost for a complete remodel. [4]

Arrange bathroom access and inspection milestones

Ask for a schedule that separates demolition, rough work, inspections, waterproofing, finishes and fixture installation. Confirm delivery of essential fixtures before demolition. If this is your only bathroom, agree on the last day you can use it and arrange another bathroom for the period the contractor expects it to be unavailable.

Cleveland makes contractors and do-it-yourselfers responsible for scheduling inspections using the office number on the permit. The city calls for rough-in inspection before workers conceal the work and a completion inspection. Ask the contractor to include those stops in the schedule and share the inspection results with you. [1]

Tie the completion payment milestone to the final inspection and the agreed scope. Cleveland instructs homeowners not to accept work before a city Building and Housing inspector performs a final inspection. Before closing the job, review your punch list with the contractor and collect permit records, product instructions and warranty information. [1]

Selected Cleveland permit and review minimum charges

Match your proposed work to the next step

Your hiring checklist

1. Give bidders the same written scope, room measurements and fixture selections.
2. Identify the contractor and each plumbing and electrical subcontractor.
3. Verify city registration and request insurance and trade credential documentation.
4. Assign applications, drawings, fees and inspections to named people in the agreement.
5. Request an itemized bid with allowances, exclusions and a written change-order process.
6. Arrange bathroom access and confirm essential fixture deliveries before demolition.
7. Include inspection stops and a final walkthrough in the schedule.
8. Collect final inspection results, permit records and warranty information before closing the job.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a permit if the toilet and sink stay in place?

Keeping the layout does not establish a permit exemption. Cleveland’s plumbing page requires permits for new, extended or repaired plumbing systems and fixtures. Ask the plumber to confirm how the city classifies the proposed replacement or repair before work starts. [2]

Can I perform bathroom work myself?

Cleveland allows owner-occupants of one- or two-family homes to perform alterations without contractor registration. The city still subjects them to the same permit, plan examination and inspection regulations that apply to contractors. Confirm the requirements for your scope before starting. [1]

How long will approval take?

The city’s contractor page says review of one- and two-family homes can take three to five working days, with complexity affecting the review period. That describes its general plan-review guidance, not the entire approval or remodel schedule. Ask the contractor to identify application, review, inspection and construction milestones separately. [1]

Does my owner-occupied home need Cleveland lead-safe certification?

The city exempts owner-occupied properties from its Lead Safe Certification requirement. It also warns that pre-1978 buildings may contain lead paint. Discuss affected painted surfaces with your contractor even when the certification requirement does not apply. [5]